We talk many times in branding and networking that it is more about the relationship than service, quality, delivery and even price. All those pieces make up the larger picture, the relationship. Clients and customers that have a relationship with your brand and not a transaction with your company will pay more, wait longer, put up with more mistakes, and tell more friends all about your brand.
This was perfectly shown to me by a prospective client just the other day. I was talking to them about the company’s history, services, people and differentiation. I asked a simple questions that usually goes one of two ways, “What’s the biggest problem your company has?” or “How can I make your life easier?” With a good relationship, your company will not be the problem or the solution. This question helps my client know that I am on their team and I want to help with the bigger picture. Getting back to the example though, this prospective client said his IT needs some help. He has been currently using a company for a few years and is just not impressed. He believes they just take him for granted and do not proactively better his business. If his IT company had a better relationship with him, he would have never had said this. They would have known their was a problem and a person who he had only known for about an hour would not be able to take his business away from them with a simple suggestion. He never complained about price in talking about them, merely the lack of understanding of what his company does and needs as the problem. In other words, the lack of a relationship with his company is the problem.
